Security Bulletin Direct: May 2016

Digifort vehicle License Plate Reading (LPR) software enables multi-channel plate reading on each server CPU core. 

The Digifort vehicle License Plate Reading (LPR) system is a multi-channel, license module operating within its open-platform VMS. 

It offers reliable identification and categorisation of white or black-listed license plates and is widely used in vehicle access control; traffic enforcement; toll collection positions; border crossings; and general site management applications.

The Digifort LPR license applies to a server CPU core, not a camera channel. If the LPR is triggered by motion, two channels are enabled by a single core license. If an external, physical trigger is used to capture a single video image, reducing server processing overhead, up to 20 LPR channels can be enabled, also by a single core license.

“The Digifort LPR system is typically used to control vehicle access to a site through automated barriers or gates,” explains Francois Levy, Digifort Business Development Director for EMEA. “Its user-configured, management database enables categories such as staff, stolen cars, site visitors, delivery vehicles, unrecognised plates and even “followed vehicles” to be triggers. Corresponding alarm actions can be scheduled for different outcomes by time of day or week.

“The LPR system recognises a plate’s characters and registers the plate on a management database, or in an external folder, with date, time and camera information tags. The database can be synchronised with external databases, such as from the police or DVLA, with associated vehicle owner information, if available. Plate data can also be shared between numerous, multi-channel, Digifort systems, across many sites.

“Digifort can read plates accurately on fast-moving vehicles and allow incoming and outgoing plate cameras to be set, to establish vehicle duration times, as used in car park ticketing. Surrounding cameras can also correlate with the primary, plate-capture cameras to provide additional video data, such as the front, side or cab of a vehicle.”

A suspect plate event can trigger a visual and audible warning; increase recorded video resolution and frame rate; and notify users by email, text or SMS. A “mask” facility allows users to apply alarm rules to groups of plates and specify plate retention times. Automatic server failover is an option for mission-critical applications and plate recognition accuracy is measured to help users optimize camera set-up.

An unlimited number of secure client PCs, tablets and smartphones can access and view the Digifort LPR system.

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Redvision X-SERIES™ rugged domes take toughness to another level.

Redvision, the UK manufacturer of the X-SERIES™ rugged PTZ dome cameras, takes toughness to another level.

Vandal-resistance is the most common toughness rating for CCTV products. It is, in fact, a measure of impact resistance, as defined in European standard EN 62262. Products are issued with an IK rating, from IK 00 denoting no impact protection, through to IK10, the maximum. An IK10 product will resist an impact from a 5kg steel mass dropping or swinging into it, from 500mm.

Redvision believes IK10 is not exacting enough. Paul Hucker, Managing Director of Redvision, explains, “A camera might experience far greater forces in real applications. In our own impact testing we swing a 14lb (6.5Kg) sledge hammer, on a 2m handle, at the camera with great force a number of times. The camera resists the impact and remains intact. A video of the test can be viewed on our website.

“Despite our exceptional impact resistance, an X-SERIES™ camera was damaged when a speeding vehicle hit the base of a CCTV column, with the camera mounted on top. The impact force had been conducted up the column, demonstrating how vital a high impact resistance is.

“Redvision believes impact resistance is only one of many factors that define ruggedness. Weather resistance and an ability to function in rain are vital. We have an IP67 moisture-ingress rating for outdoor use, but more practically we have a wiper to clear rain and dirt from the camera view. We also have IR or white light options for night-time operation. Resistance to corrosive environments can also be important. We offer marine and extra-marine finishes, which are 25 year-rated, corrosion-resistance plated. Heat and the cold are significant in many applications. We have tested our products extensively and offer an operating temperature range of -25°C to 60°C. Our cameras are very reliable, with a MTBF of seven years, backed by our factory servicing facility.”

The impact forces on cameras in some applications can be immense and an IK10 rating is not enough. We urge our customers to think responsibly about public safety when designing surveillance systems and consider CCTV tower design, location and protection levels.

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Grundig launches Professional Line, 16 and 32 channel, embedded, system-level NVRs.

Grundig Security’s new Professional Line NVRs include an exceptional range of high-end features and storage options.

The NVRs support Full HD cameras of up to 6MP, with an aggregate recording speed of up to 200 Mbps. Four SATA HDD slots are available for storage. Network-attached storage (NAS) and eSATA devices can be added to increase storage or offer back up options. Failover functionality allows dual, redundant NVR set-up for high-security applications. If the prime NVR should fail, it will switch to an identically set up, clone NVR. Continuous; event alarm; motion; video loss; and scheduled recording options can all be configured. Users can search by time, date, event, alarm and motion; including within back-ups.

The NVRs are 19” (1.5U) rack-mountable and support a choice of HDMI, VGA and BNC monitor connections. Multi-views, sequences and events can be independently configured on each monitor. A digital spot function enables multiple camera views and sequences to be combined into a single, 1080p viewing stream. The NVRs can be controlled locally by USB mouse and network access is enabled for up to 128 remote clients using SCMS smartphone Apps, SCMS PC applications or web pages. The NVRs support Grundig PSIA and ONVIF Profile S & G video integration protocols and have Windows and Linux operating system integration by SDK.

Event and alarm management, which includes 16x alarm inputs and 4x relay alarm outputs, can be triggered by motion, alarm, video loss and system error. User notifications are by pop-up, relay, e-mail and buzzer as well as activating PTZ presets. An IP audio input is available per video channel with 2x BNC audio outputs.

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A tough new PTZ from eneo with rugged good-looks.

Eneo’s next generation, rugged PTZ dome camera, the IPP-82A0030MIA, comes with a wide range of features. 

These include a 1 /2.8” 2MP (1920 x 1080p) progressive scan Sony STARVIS CMOS, day-night sensor; triple video streams (2x H.264 and 1x MJPEG) at up to 60FPS; 30x optical, 4.3~129.0mm auto-focus zoom (AFZ) lens; and 16x digital zoom. The lens produces optimal image quality, day and night, with Smart IR extending night-time viewing distances up to a massive 300m.

The rugged PTZ’s outdoor housing is made from tough aluminium. It has an IP66 moisture ingress-rating and an impressive, outdoor operating temperature range of -30°C to 65°C.

“The rugged dome includes some very practical installation features for installers,” explained Martin Morris, eneo Business Development Manager UK & Ireland. “It offers Ultra PoE, or 12vDC power options, with a PoE mid-span included for installations with longer cable runs. Power consumption, with IR illumination switched on, is only 28W. A microSDHC card slot is included for up to 32GB of on-board recording. The dome is also multi-cast compliant, with real time WDR at 120dB and 2D and 3D digital noise reduction (DNR).

“The rugged dome has four alarm in and one alarm relay output, with alarm management actions including FTP, E-Mail, HTTP, boost and SD-card recording. It is ONVIF compliant, with ONVIF mapping, so events are defined and encoded as ONVIF alarms to ensure maximum integration with VMS or NVR systems. Analytics functionality includes motion, tamper, video-loss, line, field and face detection, with a ‘Defog’ setting, along with eight privacy zones and two-way audio. Its Digital Image Stabilization (DIS) feature also prevents any detrimental effect on video image quality caused by movement and vibration, such as from wind.”

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Aimetis announces Symphony VMS integration with SureView Systems’ Immix CC/CS.

Seamless integration increases efficiency of central monitoring stations.

Aimetis Corp, a global leader in intelligent video management software announced the integration of Aimetis Symphony VMS with SureView Systems Immix® software platform for central monitoring stations.

Aimetis Symphony offers an open IP video platform for video management, video analytics, and system integration. Symphony video analytics deliver accurate event detection in a range of applications, including people and vehicle tracking, loitering detection, Auto-PTZ tracking, ALPR and more.

Immix is a software product that operates in central monitoring stations and consolidates a wide range of different security products into one simple operator interface. It is proven to increase the efficiency of monitoring stations offering video monitoring services.

The integration enables the presentation of events detected by Symphony into the Immix client, allowing the operator to review the event image and receive live video.

The integration is available in Symphony v6.14 or higher.

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